


futile devices

by HwaStars



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Breaking and Entering, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Blow Jobs, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Non-Explicit Sex, Piercings, Sexual Tension, Smut, Swearing, Tattoos, Texting, anyway hongjoong has a tattoo y'all :D, tattooist!seonghwa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29878071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HwaStars/pseuds/HwaStars
Summary: Hongjoong goes to the parlor to get a tattoo, but gets much more than that
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	futile devices

**Author's Note:**

> first of all, let me just say, i'm not american nor have i ever been there so my descriptions are very likely to be inaccurate-
> 
> and second, this is very much inspired by the revelation that joong has a tattoo
> 
> this most likely be a two or three part series!!

Hongjoong woke up one day and decided he would be getting a tattoo.

This was a thought that had started to brew in his mind for quite a while. And it all stemmed from his pretty roommate Yeosang.

Ever since Hongjoong came to America, Yeosang had been the one person to make him feel like he had always been there. When Hongjoong was told he had the opportunity to attend a six months long exchange program in America for music, it was a flat out no straight away. He couldn’t leave behind all that he had - his best friends, his family, his job. But a few weeks of intense thought revealed that Hongjoong really did want to attend this program - it would fast track his potential career in music and would be a once in a lifetime experience, he couldn’t possibly turn it down.

After many conversations with his loved ones and reconsiderations, here he was, attending one of the most prestigious universities in his area. And boy was he glad that he did.

Honestly, he was quite intimidated when he first met Yeosang. The boy was wearing a black AC/DC tank top that revealed a litany of tattoos along his built arms, and ripped black jeans that revealed the ink went along his legs as well. His nails were painted black and Hongjoong couldn’t take his eyes off the studs of metal all over his ears and face. He had studs on his brows and nose, as well as a lip ring. All in all, in simple words, the man made him gay panic.

Yeosang would never let Hongjoong live down how nervous he was when they first met, always mocking the way Hongjoong had stuttered “H-Hi, I’m Kim Hongjoong, nice to meet you” in English. To his relief, Hongjoong learned that Yeosang was Korean as well, and thus felt far more comfortable around him.

“It hurts at first, but you get used to it.” Yeosang says as they make their way to their composition class.

“Awe, is Hongjoong gonna have sex for the first time?” A familiar voice butts into their conversation. They turn around to see Yeosang’s childhood friend Wooyoung with a teasing grin behind them.

“I’ve had sex before!” Hongjoong says a bit too loudly, slapping Wooyoung’s arm and earning a giggle from the younger boy.

“Joong wants to get a tattoo.” Yeosang says.

“Ooh, Hongjoong-hyung will look so pretty with a tattoo!” Wooyoung says dreamily. “Yeosangie’s right, it doesn’t hurt _that_ much.” He says. Hongjoong knows Wooyoung is probably lying just to convince Hongjoong to go under the needle. He knows Wooyoung himself has a tattoo, though he says nobody’s ever seen it before. Honestly, he’s convinced that the black haired boy might be lying about it.

“Like I said, I’m still not sure.” Truth be told, Hongjoong had already been in contact with a tattoo artist he had his eye on for a while, called Mars. He first heard of the artist from Yeosang, who had nothing but good things to say about the man. The studio Mars worked at was just ten minutes from their dorm, and the beautiful art Hongjoong had seen on his Instagram had him scrolling through his feed for what felt like hours. It was this artist’s designs that had Hongjoong texting the number in his bio, asking him for his rates and showing him reference photos of what kind of designs he was interested in.

The conversation ended when the two arrived at their composition class, while Wooyoung said his goodbyes for the day and made his way to his culinary class. 

Hongjoong tries his best to pay attention to what the professor is saying, he really does. He knows he didn’t come to America just to sit in class and not pay attention, but somehow he finds himself looking at Mars’s Instagram on his laptop as he often does. The artist has posted a bunch of new tattoo designs on his page, and Hongjoong questions if it’s possible to fall in love with a collection of photos.

“They’re pretty, right?” Yeosang whispers to him when he clicks on a photo of a sakura flower on a woman’s arm, encompassed with detailed leaves and vines. Hongjoong nods in agreement.

Time passes by quickly when he’s looking at Mars’s photos, and finally, the sun is setting and class ends. 

Yeosang and Hongjoong make casual conversation on the walk back to the dorm. Both too tired to do their usual Friday night movie nights, they say their goodnights and shut themselves in their respective rooms.

Hongjoong clicks his phone on to find he has a text from _“_ **_Mars_ ** _🌸”._

[6:37pm]

_"Hello, Hongjoong!_

_I thought I’d let you be the first to know that I’ve had a cancellation for 10am tomorrow, so I can slot in a last minute booking. Would you be interested? Let me know :)”_

Hongjoong’s breath hitches in his throat. Tomorrow? That was _way_ sooner than when he was anticipating getting a tattoo. Without thinking it through, he quickly types up a response.

“ _Yes, that sounds good. I’ll be there :)”_

Now Hongjoong had time to think about what he just did. What the fuck. He was really going to get his first tattoo tomorrow. Less than 24 hours away. His phone dings, disrupting his thoughts.

_“Great! Make sure to be there at least ten minutes before so you can fill out the forms, and don’t forget to eat and drink something beforehand. See you then :)”_

Hongjoong’s heart pounds. Well, this was really happening.

\--

Hongjoong had decided to skip his classes for the day since the tattoo would take at least a few hours. He spent the morning having breakfast with Yeosang, who he didn’t tell about his plans for the day.

“Hey Yeo, I’m feeling a little sick. I think I’m gonna head back to the dorm for the day.” Yeosang raises an eyebrow but nods nonetheless.

“I hope you feel better. Take care of yourself, okay? No junk food.” He says with a warning tone before walking off to his class.

Checking the time, he sees that it’s 9:40am. Deciding he doesn’t want to walk, he calls an Uber that gets him there right at 9:48am.

Thanking the driver, Hongjoong gets out of the car and takes in the sight of the parlour. The small black building reads _“Le Navire D’Ateez”_ in big, cursive neon letters that flicker between the colours of an aurora. He reads the signs saying “tattoo” and “body piercing”, and the array of products lining the wood framed glass windows. Honestly, if Hongjoong hadn’t been Instagram stalking this place for months, he’d be quite intimidated by it. 

Walking into the parlor, the bell at the door jingles. Hongjoong finds a bright pink haired receptionist at the counter, talking avidly on the phone. The man has full sleeve tattoos and piercings that remind him of Yeosang. Just from where he’s standing, Hongjoong can see dragons, small quotes, stars, moons and suns inked into his arms.

“Dude I’m telling you, he’s fucking _hung-”_ The man cuts himself off when he sees a flustered Hongjoong, muttering a quick “I’ll call you back” on the phone before flashing Hongjoong a charming smile.

“Hello! How can I help you?” He asks. 

“Hi, I had a 10am booking with Mars.” Hongjoong says shyly, fiddling with the strap of his backpack.

“Ah, yes! I’ll just get you to fill these out while Mars gets ready.” He hands Hongjoong a clipboard with a few pages and a pen. Hongjoong takes a seat on the leather couch, filling out all his details, confirming he has no allergies or health issues and all the legal shenanigans before signing his name and handing the clipboard back to the receptionist.

“Great! He’ll be out in a second.” He smiles. And literally just a few seconds later, the man who Hongjoong’s been texting for weeks walks out from a room in the back, giving Hongjoong a smile. He doesn’t know why his heart rate picks up when he sees the tall, silver haired man. Surprisingly, he has only a few visible tattoos here and there.

“You must be Hongjoong.” Mars says, his voice soft with a deep timbre. Hongjoong nods, taken aback with his words stuck in his throat.

“Y-Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.” He manages to get out.

“You too”. He says with a warm smile. “San already gave you all the paperwork to fill out?” Assuming the receptionist is San, Hongjoong nods again.

“Great, you can follow me then.” He leads Hongjoong to the back room he came from. The room is quite small, with posters and graffiti decorating the walls. There’s a shelf with needles of various sizes, what Hongjoong thinks looks like bottles of paint, and stencils. There’s a single reclining leather chair in the middle of the room, which Mars gestures towards.

Hongjoong lays down on the chair, while Mars shuffles around near the shelf.

“First tattoo, hm?” Mars says conversationally.

“Y-Yeah.”

“The initial design you sent me was beautiful.” 

“Oh, thank you. I drew it myself.” Hongjoong replies shyly.

“Ah, really? You should consider doing this then.” Mars says with a smile, returning next to Hongjoong holding a tattoo gun. He must notice the immediate panic on Hongjoong’s face when he sees the scary looking needle.

“Don’t be too nervous, okay? I won’t lie, it’ll hurt at first but you’ll get used to it.” Mars echoes what Yeosang had said. He makes himself comfortable on a stool situated near Hongjoong's legs.

“Take a deep breath for me.” Mars’s soothing voice helps Hongjoong calm down a little more, and he does as he says.

“There you go. This is the design you wanted, right?” He holds up a stencil with the angel wings on it that Hongjoong had drawn, except it was redrawn with a few tweaks here and there by Mars. Hongjoong nods.

“Perfect, I’ll put the stencil on then.” He says, asking for permission before rolling up the right pant leg of his jeans. He wipes the area with rubbing alcohol, pressing the cool paper against Hongjoong’s skin. Hongjoong shivers when Mars’s latex glove covered hands press against his skin. He peels it off, checking it over before humming to himself contentedly.

“Alright, ready for the scary part?” Hongjoong takes in another deep breath before nodding.

Hongjoong hisses when the needle meets his skin, pricking the surface and going in.

“You’re doing great, Hongjoong.” Mars says softly, still heavily focused on the task at hand. “Tell me a little about yourself, hm?”

Hongjoong’s thankful for the distraction. “I’m from Korea, I’m twenty-two, and I’m here in America for five more months to study music production. I really like making music, and I make clothes sometimes. I’m living on campus with a roommate at the moment.” He says slightly shakily from the sharp pain in his leg.

“That’s interesting. How do you like it here so far?”

“It’s a nice change. Way different from Korea. You always see it in the movies but I like it better now that I’m here. And I like the In-N-Out here.” He cringes at the last part, though it earns a pretty laugh from Mars.

“I agree, In-N-Out is great.” He says jokingly, looking up to wink at Hongjoong which he swears, makes his heart skip a beat.

Mars effortlessly creates a comfortable environment for Hongjoong, making the younger boy feel like he’s known the artist for more than just a few hours. In fact, the time goes by faster as Hongjoong eases into their conversations. Mars easily distracts him from the needle shifting around his leg - he’s tempted to look down, but he knows he can’t move.

“Hongjoong, are you seeing anybody?” Mars suddenly asks while adding the final touches to his tattoo.

Hongjoong is taken aback, his face and ears very clearly going red. “N-No, I’m not.” 

“Good to know.” Mars mumbles it very quietly, but Hongjoong still catches it. “And you’re done.” He says proudly with a smile. Mars moves away to let Hongjoong look at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes lingering on the beautiful wings adorning his ankle.

“It’s beautiful.” He whispers, truly in love with the art that now decorated his body.

“I’m glad you like it.” Mars smiles, letting Hongjoong admire it more while he scribbled something on a piece of paper and stapled it with a few more papers.

“Here’s all the aftercare information you’ll need, and some other things.” He says, handing Hongjoong the papers. 

“Thank you so much, Mars. I’m sure I’ll be back for another one.” Hongjoong giggles with a sincere smile. “Actually, can I ask for something else?” Seonghwa tilts his head curiously. Hongjoong makes his request, and Seonghwa gives him that kind smile of his.

When he's done, he bids Mars and the receptionist San farewell, Hongjoong happily grins to himself in the Uber home, excited to show Yeosang what he had done. Speaking of, he opens his phone to find about a dozen texts from said boy.

[5:25pm]

_i’m getting chicken do you want anything_

_pls open the door i’m not bothered to get my keys out_

_joong where the fuck are you_

_smh now i have to get my keys from my bag >:( _

_wtf_

_ok assuming u went out to buy ramen or something_

_have u died???_

Hongjoong giggles at his friend's antics, getting his keys out of his bag when the driver pulls up to his dorm. Unlocking the door, he finds Yeosang munching away at a box of fried chicken. He looks up from his phone when he sees Hongjoong.

“Where were you? I thought you were sick.” He says accusingly.

“I swear I was gone for a good reason.” He pulls his leg up on a chair, revealing his brand new, still slightly red tattoo wrapped in cling wrap.

Yeosang sits there speechless. “Oh my god, you actually did it!” He says happily, grinning.

“What do you think?” Hongjoong says proudly.

“It’s hot.” Yeosang says with a smirk.

Hongjoong blushes, not used to the usually harsh Yeosang complimenting him. 

“Well, that’s not all I did.” He pokes the tip of his tongue out, revealing the new stud that now rests there.

“Fuck.” Yeosang says under his breath. “Good job Joong, you’re a certified gay now.” 

Hongjoong laughs and helps Yeosang finish the box of fried chicken before going to his room. He decides to finally read through the collection of papers Mars had given him. It holds a lot of useful information on how to care for his new tattoo, products to buy and a discount for his next purchase. What surprises him is the last page, which has nothing but cursive handwriting.

_“Since you already have my number, how about I get you a coffee? xx - Seonghwa (Mars)_

\-- 

“You look nice”. Mars, no, Seonghwa smiles at Hongjoong, who returns it. The two had decided to meet at a cafe that happened to be only a few shops away from Seonghwa’s parlour. What Hongjoong found strange was that Seonghwa wanted to meet here at 9pm. Hongjoong thought it was a strange time for a date, but he didn’t protest it. It sort of made sense - Hongjoong had classes during the day and Seonghwa had work.

“You do too.” Hongjoong wasn’t saying it just to be polite, Seonghwa genuinely looked stunning. He wore a black leather jacket on top of a white printed tee and ripped jeans, and even wore dark eyeshadow that Hongjoong thought made him look like the epitome of a goth boyfriend that someone would post on Twitter.

“So, why 9pm? Not that I’m complaining.” Hongjoong asks.

Seonghwa smiles softly. “Less prying eyes, I get to focus only on you. Also I have a few ideas for what we can do after coffee, if you’re up for it.” 

Hongjoong is mesmerized with the way Seonghwa articulates himself. He can only nod. “Y-Yeah, sure.”

“Great.” Seonghwa smiles. The waiter arrives with Seonghwa’s caramel hot chocolate (“I can’t drink bitter things” he had said), and Hongjoong’s chai latte.

They both talk more about themselves, getting to know each other more while sipping their warm drinks. Hongjoong finds himself growing more attracted to the older man the later it gets. Neither of them realize it’s nearing 10pm until the waiter politely tells them they’re closing soon.

“That’s our cue.” Seonghwa says, making his way to the counter and slyly paying their bill, much to Hongjoong’s complaint. His eyes fixate on the small tattoo of a star on Seonghwa’s hand as he hands the waiter his card.

“I hope you aren’t tired yet.” Seonghwa smiles as they walk out of the cafe.

“Not at all. I have caffeine in my system, I can stay up all night if needed.” Hongjoong says proudly.

“Maybe we should put that to the test.” Seonghwa winks, leaving Hongjoong flustered as he opens the passenger side of his car, letting the blonde boy get in.

“So, what’s next?” Hongjoong asks as Seonghwa buckles his seatbelt.

“It’s a surprise~” Seonghwa says teasingly, earning a joking “awe” from Hongjoong.

When Seonghwa parks, Hongjoong blinks in surprise, looking up to find that they were at _his school?_

“Ah, I spend enough time at this place during the day.” Hongjoong rolls his eyes sarcastically.

“You might not hate it so much after tonight.” Seonghwa says with a hint of something Hongjoong can’t recognize in his voice.

The gates are closed, so he isn’t entirely sure of what Seonghwa’s plan is here. In the blink of an eye, Hongjoong is appalled to find that Seonghwa holds onto the metal fence, climbing up and then jumping down onto the other side with ease.

“What the _fuck_?” Hongjoong can’t hold it back, earning a laugh from Seonghwa.

“Well, are you coming?” Seonghwa says, raising an eyebrow.

Hongjoong wordlessly does the same, albeit far less gracefully than Seonghwa did. Seriously, he made scaling a fence look easy.

“There we go.” Seonghwa takes Hongjoong’s hand, linking their fingers together. Hongjoong’s glad it’s dark, otherwise he would have seen just how bright red his cheeks were. Hongjoong could hear his heartbeat in his ears as Seonghwa guided him towards the main building.

“I used to get in all kinds of trouble when I went to school here, I know it like the back of my hand.” Seonghwa says in the night’s silence.

“You went here?” Hongjoong asks, his interest piqued.

“Mhm, degree in arts.” 

Fitting, Hongjoong thought. When they stop, Seonghwa takes out a bobby pin from his hair and jimmies it in the lock for a bit when the lock clicks. He smirks to himself (which Hongjoong finds insanely hot) before they walk up the flight of stairs.

“Here we are.” Seonghwa says, walking up right to the edge of the rooftop, which makes Hongjoong anxious. Without skipping a beat, he sits on the ledge, letting his legs dangle freely. Looking back, he takes in Hongjoong’s hesitant gaze, and holds a hand out.

“Trust me?” Hongjoong nods. He walks up to Seonghwa and holds his tattooed hand before shakily sitting down next to him.

Hey, this wasn’t so bad.

“Look.” Hongjoong follows his line of sight, looking out at the vast city ahead of them. Different coloured lights from various buildings, busy streets filled with honking cars and the star filled sky fill his vision, taking his breath away.

“Wow.” He says under his breath.

“Not so bad, is it?”

“Not at all.”

Seonghwa stares at Hongjoong’s awestruck face with a small smile, falling in love with the way Hongjoong takes the view in.

“I want to write a song.” Hongjoong says, breaking the silence. “About this.” 

Seonghwa can’t do anything else but what his mind and body scream at him to do. He gently holds Hongjoong’s chin, turning his face towards him, leaning in so close they feel each other’s breath against their faces. He lets Hongjoong close the gap, which is exactly what he does.

It’s a simple peck, but it turns into far more when they both crave _more_. Hongjoong wants more of the slight hint of nicotine, the smell of cigarette smoke and detergent. Seonghwa craves the taste of mint gum and latte that lingers on Hongjoong’s lips, gently slipping his tongue to meet Hongjoong's, both of them effortlessly pressing their lips against one another as though they had done it a million times before. 

They both let out small giggles when they break apart.

“Will you write a song about that too?” 

“Definitely.” 

The two don’t take long to get right back to making out, though it turns more desperate. Hongjoong boldly moves his hands to roam against Seonghwa’s toned torso. Maybe he would be staying up for far longer than he anticipated?

\--

Hongjoong’s surprised when he returns home and Yeosang is still awake on the couch, though looking exhausted out of his mind. He’s watching some drama on the TV when Hongjoong walks in, turning to see the giddy looking boy.

“You were out a long time.” Yeosang says teasingly. Hongjoong nods.

“I got sucked off on a rooftop.” He says casually. “Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He heads back to his room, leaving Yeosang with his jaw dropped.

**Author's Note:**

> twt: @HEEHEEJ1N
> 
> comments and kudos r appreciated c:


End file.
